Sorry that I’m posting this late. I actually just got to Barcelona about three hours ago and I’m just now posting the stuff I wrote Saturday night about my trip. It’s weird re-reading it now that I’m here. Anyway, here are what my predeparture thoughts were:

I had this plan where I was going to take all three courses of introductory chemistry over the summer, and then finish up all my pre-nursing requirements by fall term, which would leave me in good shape for when I apply for nursing school this winter. But then I thought, I really want to go abroad and I might not get another opportunity. It occured to me that there was really nothing stopping me from ditching my initial plan and applying for an internship abroad. I have a lot of ideas that never amount to anything because I don’t do anything about them. This internship was different because I actually did something. For that alone, this experience is important to me.

I’ve been through a roller coaster of emotions as my departure date gets closer. Sometimes I’m super excited and confident, and other times I’m anxious and just want to back out. A lot of times I go back and forth between those two states about 50 times in 5 minutes, and I haven’t been sleeping well either way.

Here are some of the things I know about Spain: soccer (I hope I can catch some of the game tomorrow during my layover), warm weather, beaches, Spanish, siestas, Catholicism, Christopher Columbus was from there, the Moors, cool architecture, bad economy. And here are some things I know about Barcelona: Catalan, good public transportation system, near the coast, international community.

I am nervous about speaking in Spanish. I took Spanish for five years in middle and high school, and got a 5 on the AP test, but I’ve hardly used it in over three years. And I’ve taken German, which sometimes gets in the way of my Spanish. I wonder how many times I’m going to say ja instead of si. And, native Spanish speakers talk so freaking fast! People should be more like the characters in my old Spanish textbooks. They always spoke slowly, with perfect grammar, and didn’t use words I didn’t already know.

I’m trying to keep an open mind and reasonable expectations because I don’t know what Barcelona and the people there will be like. But considering how much this program costs, I’m going to make it be good no matter what.

I can’t figure out how to add pictures to this post, but mostly what I’ve been doing today is packing and quadruple-checking that I have everything, so if you just Google “suitcases” and “neurotic people” you’ll get it.

Here’s hoping for a safe, crying baby-free flight!

~Cicely